September 2007
Religion once played a vital role in the lives of people
in Western Europe. Some of the world's most
beautiful churches and cathedrals, including Notre
Dame and the Cologne Cathedral, are found in this part
of the world. Nearly every village, town and city has a
church building as its centerpiece. Most are empty, or
practically so, during times of worship. Some of these
buildings attract many visitors who tour them as histori¬
cal monuments. Other church structures have been sold
and renovated for other uses. Millions of Europeans pro¬
fess no religion. The largest non-confessional populations
by percentage are found in Denmark, France, Germany,
the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. Some European
countries still have an official state religion - usually
Catholic, Lutheran, Orthodox or Anglican; any other
denomination is considered a sect. Despite their Christian
heritage, Western Europeans reject the established church
and traditional religion. Many seek to fill this void
in their lives through other means. Eighty
percent of Austrians have dealt with the
occult. In Italy there are more than A
100,000 full-time consulting g^fl
magicians - three times the
By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us,
О
God of our salvation, You who are the confidence of all the
ends of the earth, and of the far-off seas (Psalm 65:5, NKJV).
0 GERMANY. University students in Germany tend to be
skeptical about religion with only 1-3 percent claiming a
personal relationship with Christ. Intercede for the work on
university campuses in Jena and Braunschweig. Pray for
missionaries as they make plans for new small groups.
Also pray for the startup of the fall semester in October
which includes kick-off parties and contact tables in a main
campus building. Petition that many students, both
Christians and non-Christians, will be drawn to participate
in these campus ministries.
MIDDLE ATLAS BERBERS OF MOROCCO (MAB).
Thank you for praying earlier this year for a sports proj¬
ect among these people. The team had a great weekend in
one of the towns where they were working and, as a result,
were able to spend time with a new brother who began his
walk several months ago. He has been sharing with two
groups of five men each. In one group, a man asked to
receive the Lord as his Savior and has shared his faith bold¬
ly with the other group as well. During the weekend, the
team met these groups and shared the Gospel with them.
This team has worked in and around these areas for years
but has seen no visible fruit. Pray for a church to develop in
this town and for God to protect these men's faith as they
share with those around them.
WESTERN EUROPE. Please intercede for the "Third
Culture Kids" (TCK, children of missionaries) in West¬
ern Europe, as they begin a new school year. From the very
young to the oldest teenager, there are always issues of lan¬
guage, culture and rejection. Pray that our Father in heaven
will bestow His grace and peace to these children as they
live on the frontlines of fighting the darkness in our world.
NON-URBAN HAITIANS OF HAITI (HAY-shuns). God
is faithful to answer prayer. Thank you for your prayers
for the new church at Bord as they celebrated their first bap¬
tisms, weddings and Lord's Supper together. The three
planned weddings became five, and they baptized 14 rather
than the anticipated 12 new believers. That weekend was fur¬
ther blessed when two others accepted Christ as Lord. The
church has added a Monday chronological Bible storying
time for discipling new members. Rejoice with them at the
great work the Lord is doing in their lives. Pray that they will
continue to grow in their faith and understanding of God's
Word, living as a source of salt and light in their community.
GERMANY. "The One" is a movement that grew out of
the passion that the Rhine-Ruhr Team has - to see Christ
magnified and to see His glory and fame known in Ger¬
many. "The One" seeks to bring together the young gener¬
ations of Germany for the purpose of seeing authentic spir¬
itual renewal. God is looking for a generation that will say
number of Catholic priests.
In Portugal more than 90 Jff*
percent of the population j
consults spiritist mediums
and witches. Pray that mis¬
sionaries serving in West¬
ern Europe will be able to
break down the barriers
that are preventing the
spread of the Gospel. Pe¬
tition that the rocks will be removed from the ground so
that abundant seed will fall on good soil, which will in
turn produce a bountiful harvest.
